Summary

Wonders is a collection of 169 candid questions analyzing the relationships and behaviors of White people and Black people and Black people and themselves -  questions designed to stimulate thought about controversial issues and ideas and provoke positive change in society. Although the questions are open-ended, the author has suggested potential answers to stimulate discussion. Author Earl Ricks takes a courageous step in challenging us to confront these sensitive topics, so that we can begin the process of finding solutions to racial and cultural biases.

About the Author

Earl Ricks grew up in Tidewater, Virginia during the early fifties, lived in an average American family and attended Portsmouth’s Public Schools. Following high school graduation, he moved to New York with his brother and in February 1965 returned to Virginia to attend Norfolk State College until ordered to active duty in the U.S. Navy. During his military service, he traveled to thirteen foreign countries where he was exposed to and studied a diversity of cultures. He returned to Norfolk State University majoring in psychology. Earl ultimately moved to Richmond, Virginia, where he worked as a counselor at a community youth home for the Virginia Department of Corrections. He later became involved in real estate sales and became a broker and owner of Ricks and Associates Inc., which he operated for twenty-eight years. Ricks currently lives and writes in Richmond.

Endorsements

"Earl Ricks has written an extraordinary work about issues that have long resonated in the hearts and minds of African-Americans. Because he fails to mince words, Ricks's direct assessment of challenges facing the African-American community is not for the thin-skinned. He is to be commended for his courage to provide a voice where many remain silent, and to seek change where complacency is the norm."
- Bonnie Newman Davis Journalist, Educator

"With Rick's compilation of thought-provoking questions, each reader will ponder over countless ideals, principles, perceptions, and observations that impact the Black community. Offering exceptionally intelligent snapshots of the problems facing Blacks in America, Wonders causes the reader to ponder over problems and offer solutions. This collection strips away hazy thought, centers on double standards, while offering solutions that liberate our minds."
- Victor C. Mullins, Ph.D., Associate Dean, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

"Wonders is an exceptional book, dedicated to the analytical reasoning of why we as Black people act the way we do. It hits home with many of the questions asked and can only serve as a manuscript for change, which we as Black people need more than ever."
- Candace Cameron, College senior